Taika Waititi, Rhys Darby, and showrunner David Jenkins open up about the (very spoilery!)
Do not proceed until you’ve watched episodes 9 and 10 ofOur Flag Means Death.
But like any good sailor, the show ventures out of shallow waters and into unexpected depths.
Blackbeard (Taika Waititi) and Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) share a moment in ‘Our Flag Means Death.'.Aaron Epstein/HBO Max
But the show’s emotional core has always been the relationship between Stede and Blackbeard.
I first started reading about Stede and how he befriended Blackbeard and we don’t know why.
Very quickly, it was like, ‘Oh, it’s a romance.'"
“David just wants to piss off homophobic historians,” Waititi says with a laugh.
“He just wants to hear them go, ‘That never happened!'”
“It all stems from this mutual interest and fascination with one another,” Waititi explains.
Blackbeard would see that as a very crazy and adventurous thing to do.
He’s looking for adventure in his life because he’s seen it all."
“For me, Stede is discovering what it is that he’s searching for,” Darby says.
“It’s not just adventure; it is to feel something.
He had such an easy life, but it was devoid of any feeling.
That’s why he took off on this adventure, and he found feelings straight away.”
“I think you’re always fascinated by the thing that is different to yourself,” Waititi adds.
“I don’t want to go out with myself.
I get attracted to people who surprise me and who I can learn from.
Still, Bonnet and Blackbeard don’t exactly get their happily ever after.
So, what comes next for our two star-crossed captains?
Jenkins, Waititi, and Darby are all tight-lipped on whereOur Flag Means Deathmight sail to next.
“What we’re not known for is being able to evoke any deep-seated emotions or things like that.
It was a challenge, but one that I hope we pulled off.”
